Financial Controller Job Watford area,England UK,Accounting

Key Priorities

Conduct a thorough review of balance sheet accounts, investigating and resolving aged, unreconciled, or unsupported items.
Ensure all intercompany and internal balances are accurately reconciled, resolving discrepancies on a timely basis.
Support year-end preparation activities, ensuring reconciliations, supporting schedules and documentation are complete and audit-ready.

Key Responsibilities

Lead the month-end close process, including journals, accruals, prepayments, fixed assets, foreign currency accounting and account reconciliations.
Maintain the integrity of the general ledger, ensuring all balance sheet accounts are accurately reconciled, reviewed and supported.
Manage intercompany accounting processes, investigating variances and driving timely resolution of outstanding items.
Coordinate external audit requirements, acting as a key contact for auditors and ensuring information requests are delivered efficiently and accurately.
Prepare financial information and supporting documentation required for statutory and year-end reporting obligations.
Produce monthly management accounts, including variance analysis, commentary and insights into business performance.
Contribute to budgeting and forecasting processes, providing analysis, challenge and commentary around key assumptions and trends.
Manage, support and develop junior finance team members, ensuring workloads, priorities and performance standards are effectively maintained.
Remain hands-on in day-to-day accounting activities, including reconciliations, journals, issue resolution and financial analysis.
Oversee transactional finance activities including payables, receivables, cash allocation, account reconciliations and credit control processes.
Monitor and strengthen financial controls, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, accuracy and compliance.
Utilise financial systems and reporting tools to improve data quality, reporting capability and process effectiveness.
Partner with stakeholders across the organisation, providing financial support, analysis and guidance to aid decision-making.
Support cash flow reporting, treasury-related activities and wider finance projects as required.

Candidate Profile

Qualified accountant (ACA, ACCA or CIMA) with strong experience within financial control, management accounting or a similar hands-on finance role.
Demonstrable experience managing month-end reporting cycles and maintaining strong balance sheet control.
Experience supporting external audits, preparing supporting schedules and responding to auditor requests.
Strong reconciliation and problem-solving skills, with the ability to investigate and resolve complex accounting issues.
Previous experience leading, coaching and reviewing the work of finance team members.
Strong systems aptitude, with experience using ERP and reporting systems to enhance financial processes and controls.
Advanced Excel skills with the ability to analyse and interpret large volumes of financial data.
Organised, detail-oriented and delivery focused, with the ability to operate effectively at both strategic and transactional levels.
Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build credibility across finance and non-finance teams.